INQUEST.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 313, 17 December 1873, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest was held yesterday at Christian Long's Hotel, Tuapeka Flat, into tho cause of death of Ah Hak, a Chinese minei.

' ■ Ah' Took, one of the matbs of the deceased, gave evidence, from which w* supply the following narrative. Ah Hak'* as* 'a, Chinese miner. He came, from a village near Canton. He was about ten months iv' the province. His general health was good, but ou some occasions he would cease work owing to ill .health. Deceased and Ah Took went on Sunday last to the Chinese Camp. Ah Took stayed there till from one to six o'clock ; Ah Hak remained only till half -past five, when he returned to the hut -with All Tooag. There were other Chinese miners accompanied Ah Hak some part of the way tome. Deceased had on that day complained of being unwell ; he said he had drank too much cold water ; but he did not complain when at home before orafterreturningfromcamp. At eight |Ehe mates, deceased included, ate supper. The hut was occupied by Ah Pook, Ah Kum,Ah Toong, Ang An, and deceased. r J«hey were friendly mates. Their common claim is poor^^only a tucker claim. Deceased^ share was" one-fifth. Deceased ate the same food as the other mates. ' At six o'clock on the riorn-1 ing of the 15th December, Ah Took called deceased to breakfast ; got no reply ; then shook deceased, and found him deal. 9s. 6d.' was. found on the body, carefully wrapped up. Alexander Stewart, M.D., deposed that no marks of violence appeared on the body, and that in all probability deceased had died of appoplexy, which death would have been consistent with the evidence given. Augustus Blewitt, Chinese Interpreter, and Ah Toong, one of the mates of deceased, gave corroborative testimony. No noise was heard during the night preceding deceased's death, Ino blood was Been, and no appearances of struggling were visible.

After a brief consultation, the Coroner's Jury, who were presided over byE. H. Carew, Esq., District Coronor. returned a verdict "That the deceased Ah Hak died on the morning of December 15, by the visitation of Groi, and by no other cause."